Vinegar distillation

Distilling Vinegar below 90 centigrade. This is in accordance with Dubuis theory of vegetable life which Bartlett also recommends in his book the way of the crucible. The vinegar is twice frozen and drained out of the ice so at least 33% concentration hopefully higher I think the maximum you can get through freezing is about 56%. To have sufficient acetate the ratio is one pound of mineral to one gallon of fully concentrated vinegar so distilling to further concentrate is useful. Concentrated acetic acid can blind and damage lungs I note so I advocate care.

The modern approach of a vigreaux column and vacuum pump is complex. I think medieval Alchemists used an alembic and perhaps would sweat the liquid so water would slowly drip out of the outlet the vinegar was left behind. Maybe the flask was put in a dung heap and the warmth would evaporate the water more so then the vinegar. The residue in the flask would hopefully be high concentration acetic acid. A modern hot plate or heating mantle would replace the dungheap I think. So if I actually get hold of an alembic I will try that (not the dungheap). Push-to-fit lab glass is obtainable on-line, even retorts but an alembic I cannot find so a more complex modern approach vacuum pump, water pump, is the only one currently available to me.

In the above photo I had warmed the vinegar to 50 centigrade but the distillation train was not yet airtight. I slowly apply the vacuum so that bumping is reduced ( even with a vigreaux column). It didn't need full capacity of the vacuum pump to distil.

The vinegar is philosophic in quality because it from home made wine which was then soured to vinegar, also it has been refined without exceeding 90 centigrade (ref: The late Jean Dubuis theory of vegetable life). I don't know if it is 'the Philosophical vinegar' probably not.

The philosophical wine is not from alcohol, some stuff about that suggests it is a product of dry distillation.

The vinegar is philosophic in quality because it from home made wine which was then soured to vinegar, also it has been refined without exceeding 90 centigrade (ref: The late Jean Dubuis theory of vegetable life). I don't know if it is 'the Philosophical vinegar' probably not.

The philosophical wine is not from alcohol, some stuff about that suggests it is a product of dry distillation.

Philosophical wine is produced during the dry distillation of plants. So is philosophic vinegar. A plant of popular choice by the adepts is the grape vine. They use the allegory of wine making to discuss the processes among themselves. Their wine is also their philosophic mercury. Their vinegar is a fraction of the wine working one way when they actually process grape wine. That way takes about 20 gallons of raw wine to get enough philosophical matter. If philosophical vinegar is what you are after start with about 10 pounds of grape vines.

The modern approach of a vigreaux column and vacuum pump is complex. I think medieval Alchemists used an alembic and perhaps would sweat the liquid so water would slowly drip out of the outlet the vinegar was left behind. Maybe the flask was put in a dung heap and the warmth would evaporate the water more so then the vinegar. The residue in the flask would hopefully be high concentration acetic acid. A modern hot plate or heating mantle would replace the dungheap I think. So if I actually get hold of an alembic I will try that (not the dungheap). Push-to-fit lab glass is obtainable on-line, even retorts but an alembic I cannot find so a more complex modern approach vacuum pump, water pump, is the only one currently available to me.

They also used horizontal distillation trains to sweat the water into the receiver. That is how to grow philosophical stones. A horizontal train is cheap and easy to set up. Get a 2 liter heating mantle used from Ebay.
Purchase a 2 liter flask from: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Get a one gallon carboy (apple cider jug). Its mouth will fit inside the mouth of the 2L flask. Lute with vacuum grease and wrap joint with wet formed tissue paper. Heat to 125F. No vacuum is necessary.